Chaves County is a county in New Mexico, United States, centred on the Pecos River valley in the southeastern part of the state. It had a population of 65,157 at the 2020 census and covers 6,075 square miles (15,730 km2) centred near 33°22′N 104°28′W.
Roswell is the county seat, and its postal code is 88201. The county has one city, three incorporated towns and two census-designated places, and runs on Mountain time. Its FIPS code is 35005.
Towns & Villages in Chaves County
Six places in Chaves County carry an official incorporation status; the rest of the old settlement list below is unincorporated ranch and farm communities, rail sidings and mill sites scattered across the county’s ranching country. New Mexico has no civil townships, so no Township column applies here. CDP = census-designated place; Unincorp. = unincorporated place with no municipal government.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roswell | City · seat | 48,422 | 88201 |
| Dexter | Town | 1,247 | 88230 |
| Hagerman | Town | 987 | 88232 |
| Lake Arthur | Town | 402 | 88253 |
| Midway | CDP | — | 88201 |
| Mountain View | CDP | — | 88201 |
| East Grand Plains | Unincorp. | — | 88201 |
| South Spring | Unincorp. | — | 88203 |
| South Spring Acres | Unincorp. | — | 88203 |
| Elk | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Elkins | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Acme | Unincorp. | — | 88201 |
| Boaz | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Chisum | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Dunken | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Fairbanks | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Greenfield | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lake Van | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Mesa | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Olive | Unincorp. | — | — |
Center Mill, Corner Well, Diamante Mill, Highway Mill, River Mill, South Mill, Beatty Wells, McDermott Wells, Robertson Wells, Vest Wells, Campbell, Melena and Lone Wolf are older ranch, mill and windmill sites from the old settlement list; they never carried municipal status and most no longer appear on current maps, so they are omitted here rather than published as unverified place names.
ZIP Codes
- 88201 — Roswell (also serves Acme, East Grand Plains, Midway and Mountain View)
- 88202 — Roswell (PO Box only)
- 88203 — Roswell (also serves South Spring and South Spring Acres)
- 88230 — Dexter
- 88232 — Hagerman
- 88253 — Lake Arthur
Unincorporated ranch communities away from these ZIP-code towns generally use the Roswell address.
Geography
Chaves County sits on the Pecos River valley and the Roswell Artesian Basin, with the plains of the Llano Estacado rising to the east and the Sacramento Mountains foothills touching its southwest corner. The Pecos River runs north to south through the county and supplies the irrigated farmland around Roswell, Dexter, Hagerman and Lake Arthur. It borders De Baca County to the north, Roosevelt County to the northeast, Lea County to the east, Eddy County to the south, Otero County to the southwest and Lincoln County to the west.
Links: De Baca County (north), Roosevelt County (northeast), Lea County (east), Eddy County (south), Otero County (southwest) and Lincoln County (west).
Demographics
Chaves County had 65,157 residents at the 2020 census. Roswell is by far the largest community with 48,422 people, followed by Dexter with 1,247. Median household income runs well below the New Mexico median of $62,268, reflecting the county’s dependence on ranching, oil-field service work and lower-wage agricultural jobs. Population density is about 10.7 people per square mile.
Economy & Local Life
Ranching, dairy and irrigated farming (alfalfa, pecans, chile and dairy cattle) anchor the rural economy, alongside oil and gas service work tied to the Permian Basin in neighboring Lea and Eddy counties. Roswell is the county’s commercial and institutional center, home to Eastern New Mexico University-Roswell and the Roswell Air Center, a former Air Force base now used for aircraft storage and general aviation. The county is best known nationally for the 1947 “Roswell incident,” which drives a steady stream of UFO-themed tourism to the city each July around the annual UFO Festival.
History
The New Mexico Territorial Legislature created Chaves County on February 25, 1889, carving it out of Lincoln County. It was named for Colonel José Francisco Chaves, a New Mexico military and political leader who served in Civil War-era campaigns in the territory. Roswell, already an established trading post on the Pecos River, became the county seat. Artesian well drilling beginning in the 1890s transformed the area around Roswell into productive farmland, and the county’s population grew steadily through the 20th century around irrigation agriculture and, later, the Walker Air Force Base (now Roswell Air Center), which operated from 1941 to 1967.
Getting There
US Routes 70, 82, 285 and 380 all cross the county and meet at Roswell, with US 285 running the length of the Pecos valley north-south.
- Carlsbad — 75 miles south
- Clovis — 90 miles northeast
- Alamogordo — 85 miles southwest
- Albuquerque — 200 miles northwest
Roswell Air Center (ROW) offers commercial flights; Albuquerque International Sunport is the nearest major hub airport.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Chaves County, New Mexico?
It sits in the southeastern quarter of New Mexico, along the Pecos River valley, bordered by De Baca, Roosevelt, Lea, Eddy, Otero and Lincoln counties.
What is the population of Chaves County?
65,157 people at the 2020 census, most of them in and around Roswell.
How big is Chaves County?
6,075 square miles (15,730 km2), the fourth-largest county in New Mexico by land area.
What is the county seat of Chaves County?
Roswell is the county seat and by far its largest city.
How many towns are in Chaves County?
One city (Roswell), three incorporated towns (Dexter, Hagerman, Lake Arthur) and two census-designated places (Midway, Mountain View), plus numerous unincorporated ranch communities.
What ZIP codes are in Chaves County?
88201, 88202 and 88203 (Roswell), 88230 (Dexter), 88232 (Hagerman) and 88253 (Lake Arthur).
Why is Roswell famous?
The 1947 Roswell incident, a reported UFO crash investigated by the U.S. Army Air Forces, made the city a lasting fixture in American UFO lore and tourism.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in New Mexico.